Lake Te Paritu, also known as Black Lake, is one of two small crater lakes on

Mayor Island / Tuhua In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities ...

in the Bay of Plenty,

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

. It is connected to the larger Lake Aroarotamahine or Green Lake by a wetland, but there is no surface outlet to the sea as both lakes are in a depression.

Black colour

The lake has a black colour due to fine sediment. According to

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...

legend, the black is the blood of Tuhua (obsidian) which fought a battle with

Pounamu Pounamu is a term for several types of hard and durable stone found in southern New Zealand. They are highly valued in New Zealand, and carvings made from pounamu play an important role in Māori culture. Name The Māori word , also used ...

(greenstone) who, defeated, fled to the South Island.

References

Lakes of the Bay of Plenty Region Volcanic crater lakes {{BayofPlenty-geo-stub